Hello! This is an original story that I'm looking to get published someday, and I'm posting the first ten chapters on here because I'd like some feedback on it.

 

 

Racing Eternity

 

Book 1 of the Guardians Trilogy

 

 

Chapter 1

 

Parissa Isamar

 

We are playing tag that day- the day our lives change.

 

The bell residing in one of the tallest turrets of the castle rings sharply and boldly, its echoes persisting throughout the castle and allowing a few doves formerly resting against it to be jolted awake, take to the air, and fly away. The few doves that soared away from the bell is a pretty sight to look up to while my twin sister is chasing me.

 

The lavish white silk brushes my skin as the sun beats on me. It would have been peaceful, if I had not been playing a game with my twin sister and my best friend, Princess Sariella Isamar.

 

A foot shoots out one after the other in fluid motions as I giggle, heavy footsteps behind me.

 

“I’ll catch you!” Sari ranted as if she’s some villain who lost against his hero nemesis. But she wasn’t that- she was a Princess, just like me, and this was a simple game of tag.

 

I dare a look behind me and stick out my tongue. “Fat chance!”

 

This challenges Sari to run faster, which she accomplishes. A lump forms in my throat, and I quickly turn my head around as strands of blonde tickle my face. I want to be the one to win the game this time- Sari is physically fitter than me, after all. I do want to live up to her.

 

Sudden even to myself, I take a sharp turn at the edging brick walls of the castle courtyard. I fumble on my own footsteps for a tiny bit before I quickly recover and scamper onward.

 

A voice as smooth as silk interrupts Sari’s and I’s game. “What are you two up to now?”

 

I turn my head and abruptly stop to see her, a smiling woman that radiated elegance and caring. Adorned in a fancy white dress and her long, silky black hair carefully poured over her shoulders and a sparkling diadem crowned, the Queen of Marvyn, or my Mom, arrives.

 

I immediately bow my head in shame- Sari doesn’t. Princess’ aren’t supposed to play rough games- it isn’t ladylike, even for nine-year-olds. Sari and I often do it in secret when we can get away- which isn’t easy, mind you.

 

“I… I’m sorry!” I begin to wail.

 

Instead of being mad, Mom only tilts her head curiously. “What is there to be sorry for?” she inquires. “You’re just playing- even princesses need to have fun, you know.” Mom giggles at this.

 

Sari boasts her hand into the air, long curly black hair flailing slightly. Sari gets the hair from Mom, I get the hair from Dad. “Yes!” she cheers.

 

I just smile somewhat wearily, fastening my hands behind my back so no one sees my fingers fumbling with each other. I always play with my fingers whenever I’m uneasy or nervous. Mom had suggested we still play, but still…

 

As if to prove my feeling right, Dad suddenly bursts into the Courtyard, along with a maid scrambling fretfully behind him. I think her name’s Teresa or something.

 

“But, Your Highness- you have to hear it!” Teresa insists.

 

Dad waves a hand dismissively, adding to his bold appearance with his flowing cape that marked him as the Marvyn King. “I will not accept such nonsense.”

 

“But it’s a new part of the Prophecy!” Teresa says. “The Prophecy- the one that the magicians have said will change the world! And it pertains largely to this family!”

 

Before Dad can say anything more, Mom cuts in. “A new part of the Prophecy, you say?”

 

Teresa eagerly nods. “And again- this is pointing to your family! Your family has an influential part in the fate of the Four Lands!”

 

Mom nods, giving Dad a look to hear Teresa out. “Do you know these lines?” she asked.

 

Again Teresa nods.

 

Sari and I exchange each other glances. The fumbling in my fingers start to pick up its pace.

 

Teresa takes a deep breath. “Within the Seven Guardians, sets of twins will be born,” she begins. “Of noble blood and royalty- one for good, one for evil. The Mark of the Light, and the Mark of the Night. One with the power to purify, the other with the power to destroy...”

 

Teresa takes another deep breath to get herself to recover from the shock. “Of noble blood- these twins could very well be our own Parissa and Sariella.”

 

My eyes widen, and now my fingers start to seed sweat as they slip and fumble with another more than ever, and my feet shift uneasily.

 

Sari has a different reaction. Instead, she’s merely curious, just like Mom. She seems completely relaxed about the situation- maybe even a little smug.

 

“But… what makes you think, Teresa, that we could be these twins?” Sari asks, innocently batting long eyelashes. The question is inquiring as if she’s merely wondering, as if she can’t believe it. But I can see her tone of voice- Sari can’t hide her excitement, her anticipation… the hunger that gleams faintly in her eyes.

 

In response, an almost strangled cry struggles out of Teresa’s throat. “Your... birthmarks…” Teresa points a plump, shivering finger at me, than at Sari.

 

My face is drained of its color, and I’m so shocked that I even let my tense arms fall to my side. Teresa’s right…

 

Without thinking, my hand jets to my sleeve- mine is on my left shoulder. I’m pretty sure that Sari has one, but I haven’t seen it in a long time.

 

The mark on my shoulder is intricate, to say the very least. In thick black ink, a broad, five pointed star is surrounded by seemingly thousands of curlicues and swirls. These fancy borders that surround the star wrap around my shoulder, reaching to the other side. From time to time if I look hard enough, it glows in a fading, yellow-white light.

 

I look over to Sari, who has followed my lead and pulled down her sleeve to unveil her shoulder. Her mark is unlike mine- there is no star- instead, there is a kind of mist that swirls entirely- like mine, it wraps around my shoulder. It glows a dark blue very faintly.

 

Teresa gasps at our marks. “So… it’s… prophecy… Sariella… Parissa…”

 

“The Marks of Light and Night,” Dad breathes. He blinks a few times, as if he’s hallucinating. Then finally his eyes adjust to the sight.

 

And when it does, it lingers menacingly on Sari.

 

A lump begins to grow on my neck as Dad stares at Sari hard, as if he were trying to turn her into something. My fingers twitch uneasily. Despite the glare she’s given, Sari acts calm. Acts.

 

Finally Dad breaks the looming silence, in which its presence still lingers somewhat. “No risks can be taken,” he says. “Sariella- I’m afraid that you must leave.”

 

Sari’s eyes widen, as do mine in coronation.

 

For the first time in my life, I see Sari shift her feet uneasily. “What do… you mean?” she asks cautiously.

 

Dad’s gaze doesn’t soften, and Mom begins to look concerned. “I mean, you will leave this castle, and never come back. Bearing the Mark of the Night, you are a threat to our country, as well as a shame and burden to the Isamar House, like a weed in a field of flowers.”

 

Mom finally summons the courage to speak up. “Pryor, are you so sure about this?” she asks. “Banishing Sari? I’m sure that there are other twins out there that are candidates for this- after all, there are the-“

 

Dad shook his head rapidly, as if that alone would disperse of the problem. “No. Again, we must take no risks. And did you see those Marks?”

 

The Queen of Marvyn opens her mouth to say something and fight back, but after a few seconds’ time she closes it. Her eyes refuse to meet her husband’s.

 

Dad nods again and looks to me, and suddenly his eyes change into a new costume. Instead of the hostile glare he presented to Sari, he gives me a warm look, one that could only be translated as kindness. “Parissa, my darling- I can see that you have a great destiny ahead of you.” His eyes shift slightly to take a look at my Mark.

 

I wearily nod, unsure of what to say or how to respond. This makes almost no sense- Sari is being banished while I’m being praised.

 

Suddenly a scream emits- I turn to see Sari, baring her teeth, frustrated and hands now balled into fists. There is an invisible aura around her, one of pure fury and it lights up her eyes in rage.

 

“This is uncalled for!” Sari screams. “Are you kidding me? All of this just because of a stupid thing on my shoulder? Think you can throw me out just like that? Well, I’ve got news for you- you can’t!”

 

Sari’s eyes light up and turn off again, as if there’s some switch that’s making it flicker. The darks of her eyes are beginning to become consumed by an untamable blue, working itself slowly into her irises, as if possessing her. After a few seconds of studying it, I can see that this is the same blue that her Mark glowed in.

 

Sari then gasps, faltering to her knees and gripping herself tightly. “Wha-what’s happening?!” she yells.

 

A few horrific moments more and her entire eyeballs are consumed by that glowing blue.

 

Sari screams in rage as she stamps her feet on the ground- in turn the ground begins to shake uncontrollably.

 

“Sari!” I call out, rushing up to her and careful not to trip over my white dress. I grip her harshly by the arm, which mellows the small earthquake a little.

 

“You’ve got to stop!” I cry out. “You’re not going to be banished! If you are, than I’m being banished with you!”

 

Sari slowly takes this into consideration, slowly seeping into her brain. The blue fades slowly, and the small earthquake is on the verge of being stopped. Did… did it…

 

But her eyes begin to glow blue again, more radiant than ever. “Shut up, Parissa!” Sari snarled. “You’re a pathetic weakling! Why would I want your help?”

 

Before I can get away, she takes me by the arm, her fingernails digging into my skin and on the verge of drawing blood. With a heavy burst of strength, Sari tosses me across the courtyard.

 

For a brief moment, I’m weightless in the air. The next my back skids on the ground, tearing the back of my dress and my head crashes into the brick. I hear Teresa squeal in fright and Mom scold Sari, as if she isn’t in her… her… her state.

 

My vision sinks, than it rises. Sink, rise. Sink, rise. Black begins to edge my vision, and my body is screaming to let my eyes drop as I feel a sort of liquid trickle slowly through my body. I let out a choked kind of cry when my eyelids finally drop and I hear a gruff voice shout my name desperately.

 

It feels as if I’ve only just closed them when I find myself indoors, with many nurses and maids surrounding me. Dad hovers over me worriedly and Mom’s crying in a corner. They’re not who I want to see…

 

I feel a stab in my stomach when I don’t see Sari anywhere.

 

“She’s awake!” I vaguely hear someone announce, and just then I feel a warm, pink silk blanket draped over my body. I’m in my bedroom, apparently.

 

“Good.” There’s my Dad again. “Queen Ricarda and I request to meet with her alone.”

 

The King of Marvyn’s command isn’t taken lightly by the nurses and other caretakers. Hurriedly they scuttle out of the room, throwing me pitying looks over their shoulder as they leave.

 

Quickly enough it’s just me and my parents.

 

I feel a gruff hand settle on my legs. “Princess Parissa Isamar, are you all right?” Dad asks. “You’ve been out for a full twenty-four hours.”

 

I don’t respond to Dad’s question- I can’t answer his question due to the burning feeling rooting deep inside my heart. If I’m right… if Sari…

 

Sari and I are like two connecting pieces of a puzzle. We’d be incomplete without the other.

 

“Where’s Sari?” I question. I had expected the question to be gentle, fragile, like a piece of paper withering. Instead it comes out sharply and as hard as stone.

 

Dad just shakes his head after jutting it back somewhat, appalled by my question for some reason. “I thought that you knew- Sariella, that disgrace of a princess, is gone for good.”

Bump. x3

oh my gosh, i almost started crying! this is exactly like a real novel! keep up the fabulous work!

oh my gosh, i almost started crying! this is exactly like a real novel! keep up the fabulous work!

 

Aw, thank you!

 

Chapter 2 (Part 1)

Sariella 'Sari' Isamar

I remember the day of my funeral quite clearly.

 

After had been pretty much disowned from the Isamars six years ago, of course Dad had to make up an excuse for my absence- best not to worry Marvyn with the Prophecy. So he faked my death. As for the lack of body, Dad claimed he cremated it. In the back, I had been there listening to the false speeches and watching as they untruthfully cried.

 

Just remembering their faces, the nerve… it fueled me incredibly for my job.

 

I dug my elbow harshly into my opponent’s stomach, fire beginning to brim in my chest. I was fighting a man, Valker, I think. It was simply my job- to fight in the tavern rink to entertain people. I don’t blame them for liking to watch fighting- I especially like to watch fights myself.

 

Following that I quickly kneed Valker in the chest with force as I recalled their words.

 

We are all saddened today by the loss of Princess Sariella Isamar.

 

False. An uppercut punch.

 

I just wish that she could somehow come back!

 

Funny. I block an attempted punch from Valker with my forearm. It stings, but I take my mind away from the pain.

 

She was such a promising young princess.

 

Lies. Now I place my hands firmly on Valker’s chest, kicking him as far back as I can. To my satisfaction, Valker went as far back as to almost hit the thick rope that protected the fighting rink. There are many ‘Oooooh’s from the crowd.

 

Unfortunately, the burly and bald man won’t back down. Figures.

 

Valker snarles as he sets his jaw and tightens his muscles. Performing these two simple actions has given me enough time to think. Based on past experiences at the rink, I swiftly calculated his next actions. Since Valker was tightening his muscles, he plans to charge at me rapidly and at full force in one simple direction. All I have to do is sidestep it at the last second- a simple feat, but if I don’t accomplish it, I can be disabled. But there is that one knot behind me- one of the knots holding the arena rope together seems to be slipping apart.

 

I have to improvise greatly if the plan doesn’t work, because now Valker has started running full speed towards me. I angle my body towards the knot strategically.

 

My eyes narrow into slits as I watch him. The corners of my mouth are tempted to smile, but I haven’t won just yet. Even though I always do despite my age and gender.

 

When Valker’s heavy, pulsing footsteps are only seconds away from me, I step to the left, away from Valker’s attack that could have injured me.

 

Valker’s eyes grow when he witnesses the rope. He digs the heels of his bare feet into the floor of the rink.

 

Despite this, I hear a satisfying snap. Sure enough, Valker’s heavy weight undid the knot- what was more, it snapped the rope in half.

 

The audience gathered around the rink gasps in astonishment. Valker hasn’t dropped out of the rink, but from the way one foot is teetering closer to the edge and his arms are spinning around in circles, he will. Acknowledging this, the audience stepped back to make way for a large patch of wood flooring, so he’d be able to fall somewhere and not injure someone.

 

But to my horror, Valker’s foot is beginning to recover.

 

As if my body has a mind of its own, I run behind the man, only stopped by his back. I hug my arms closer to my chest in the form of an X as I push my weight against Valker’s.

 

Valker gasps as he falls to the floor with a thud, and I have to quickly grab one end of the split rope to prevent myself from falling right after him. I don’t grunt as I pull myself up with my own sharp tug.

Now I had been able to recover myself, it looks like I knocked him out cold- or close to it. It doesn’t matter whichever it was, because he now has six seconds to get up. Five… four… three… two… one…

 

The crowd quickly erupted into a cheer.

 

I mindlessly sweep off sweat I hadn’t known I’d seeded off my forehead. Now that this whole thing is over, I turn around and smile when I see the Rinkmaster already center stage. I walk forward to meet him.

 

The Rinkmaster proudly took my hand. “Once again, the winner is our champion- Sabre!” He held my hand up high in the air as if trying to reach the ceiling. A usual yet very encouraging round of applause ensues.

 

He handed me a small sack of pecuns- Marvyn currency. Challengers and I bet a certain amount of pecuns on who would win- it’s a tradition gladly upheld in The Sparrow’s Nest.

 

Let’s see… twenty-five silver pecuns. Not bad, but not the best either. It’ll help Lilla hand I stay alive for about a week.

 

Speaking of her, since the crowd had dispersed due to the match being finished, I can now see her clearly. I hop off the stage and land on the floor with a thud.

 

Eagerly I weave through the crowd, mumbling a thanks whenever a congratulations or compliment was offered. Soon enough I see Lilla Caye, my best friend and practically sister. I can see the glossy auburn hair that always seems to be compounded into a thick, light brown mass that reached just a little bit past her shoulders- it frames her heart-shaped face perfectly. I can also see she’s very tall, even for a seventeen year old. The simple brown dress looks good on her as they bring out her sky blue irises.

 

Lilla smiles without showing off her teeth when I meet up with her.

 

“Well well, great job yet again, Sabre,” Lilla stretches the last word.

 

I elbow her teasingly and smile. “Come on, you know you like the name,” I joke.

 

Even though my name is indeed Sari Isamar, of course I go under a different alias nowadays. After being casted out of Marvyn, I had immediately traveled to Volkan, training in martial arts and swordmanship. A few years later I returned to Marvyn, I quickly picked up a new name- Sabre. It gave off the impression I need- to sound somewhat mysterious, cool, yet they would know automatically I’m not a force to be reckoned with.

 

Then shortly after I met Lilla I also adopted her last name as well to complete my transaction. I had gone from Sari Isamar to Sabre Caye.

 

I like that transformation.

 

Just one downside to it- for some reason, Lilla hates it. She says it doesn’t sound too realistic. But I don’t care about being realistic- I care about first impressions.

 

Lilla sighs. “You do realize that I like the name Sari much better than Sabre right?” She drops her voice to a whisper as not to give my identity away.

 

I squint at her questioningly as we exit the tavern together. “Let me guess- because it isn’t realisitic?”

 

Lilla shrugs. “I actually don’t know,” she confesses. “Sari just sounds better.”

 

We walk through the streets of the Marvyn capitol. Behind us the castle looms over us menacingly, and out on the actual streets light threads through the windows of small homes and pours onto the streets. Parents gather the last of their children who’re outside for dinner or bedtime or whatnot. Only a glimmer of the afternoon sky remains, taken up almost entirely by the blackness of night. In the distance, you can hear the faint rush of the ocean waves now that it’s eerily quiet. Up ahead tall trees signal the beginning of the forest we reside in.

 

Soon dropping the subject about my name, we eventually exit the town and head on to the forest right next to it. Once enclosed in its familiar depths, Lilla and I hike up the trail to our little house when a strange, white-blue light emits from the trees.

 

“I mostly think that he’s just a dunderhead, but-“

 

Lilla then gasps and silences me. “Sari! Be quiet!” She leaned over to the blue glow, as if straining to hear somebody. When it appeared she was fruitless, Lilla spins back to me, her hair brushing the air as always. “What do you think that is?”

 

I shrug nonchalantly. “Dunno. Anyways, let’s get a move on. I don’t see how that glow is gonna get us food. In fact, in most stories I’ve read, nothing good happens from random, ominous-“

 

“Sshh!” Lilla hisses. Lilla crouches down low, her glittering blue eyes eagerly searching. “I-I think I heard something! Follow me!”

 

Before I can even open my mouth to complain how bad an idea this is, Lilla dashes off. Sighing and knowing I may as well follow, I start off after her.

 

I look around, holding an arm out and angling my steps perfectly as I run down a slope- not an easy feat, especially with slippery rocks and the cramped elbow room the pine trees offered me. I’m guided only by the numerous branches snapping underneath Lilla’s steps. Over time as we draw nearer, the light burns brighter, so we have more light. Still, this does not change my shifting footsteps.

 

I’m somewhat relieved when Lilla stops. I can see the source of this eerie light now I’m walking.

 

Lake Orna. The lake nearby Lilla and I’s cabin is our main source of water, so we’ve got to be nearby our destination now.

 

But I can barely recognize Lake Orna- the only way I’m able to identify it is the jagged outline- the like is slightly curved, making it look somewhat like a crescent moon if you squint. But since Orna is pretty long, you have to look at it multiple times to identify the shape.

 

Almost everything is different about the lake- it normally looks like, well, a lake. But this time, it looks as if Orna were fostering some strange, otherworldly substance.

 

I’ll admit though, it does look rather beautiful. Tall pine trees border the midnight-black sky, from which a full moon pours its moonlight sparingly onto Orna. I can barely see where the light hits the lake- after all, the blue glow seems to radiate deep from the lake’s depths. The water ripples diagonally-

 

Wait, diagonally? It ripples vertically.

 

From Orna’s change of tide, it’s easy to figure out that something’s wrong. But what?

 

Unfortunately, Lilla is oblivious, amazed by the sight.

 

“Whoa,” Lilla remarks. “This is pretty.”

 

I grunt. “Pretty or not, it doesn’t affect us.” Sometimes Lilla can be easily distracted- despite me being younger, from time to time I have to place Lilla in check. But yet again, Lilla puts me in line more than I do her. “Let’s go- we’re almost home.”

 

“One second,” Lilla insists. “Just that I haven’t drunk any water since we left, and the hike has made me rather thirsty.”

 

I roll my eyes. “Hurry up,” I mumble.

 

Nodding in satisfaction, Lilla turns to Lake Orna, lowers herself on one knee, and scoops up water to her mouth. While she drinks I watch drops of water plummet to the ripe grass. The instant her lips touch the water, Lilla jumps up and drops it.

 

“Holy crap!” Lilla exclaims. “That water is a lot colder than usual!” As if to prove this, Lilla shivers in the night air and rubs her hands against her arms.

 

I chuckle, amused by Lilla’s reaction. “I told you- shouldn’t have drunk that. Now com’on- let’s get back home.”